


Cliches Aren't My Forte

by ShadedCat



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Always Female Cloud, Always Female Roxas, Always Female Sora, Awkward Romance, Bisexual Female Character, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Domestic Violence, Drama, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Female Cloud Strife, Female Friendship, Female Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Female Sora, Female-Centric, Gen, Genderbending, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Teen Romance, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-07 13:09:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12841848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadedCat/pseuds/ShadedCat
Summary: Cloud Strife just took her twin daughters, Sora and Roxas, out of the beautiful and sunny beach front homes of Destiny Islands County to the high paced and heavily urban Twilight Town City. Sora is the airheaded, optomistic, friendly sister who's ready for anything. Roxas is the pessimistic, goth-punk looking chick who has a chip on her shoulder. While Sora's excited about the sudden change of scenery and lifestyle, her sister Roxas would rather go back home to the friends they left behind. However, after a chance encounter in the woods, she might change her mind and her outlook...





	1. Twilight Town's Best and Brightest

**Author's Note:**

> \

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eight shots of whiskey and a marathon watching of Final Fantasy VII Machinabridged with friends while browing GB pictures of the characters brought me here. Sober me is gonna carry my ass through this.

“Why’d we have to move?”

 

“You’re asking that now Roxas?”

 

The teen only stared apathetically at her mother from the back row of the car. She elected herself to be in the back, mostly so she could make sure nothing of her's would get crushed under whatever they packed in their four door hatchback. Sora sat up front with her headphones in her ear and bumping along to whatever song she was listening too.

 

“I didn’t want to cause a fuss,” was the expected reply from the passive aggressive teen. Her mother rolled her eyes before focusing back forward. “Mom?” Roxas persisted.

 

“I wanted a change of pace,” she replied, she crossed into a less crowded lane of the road. “That house feels too big, and I wasn't making the payments. Also the money...”

 

“We're almost broke mom, we're poor as fuck.” Roxas’ voice cut through her mother’s like a knife, making the older woman grimace.

 

“Don’t call say that.” Her voice was tired as she slowed down due to the lanes began to back up.

 

“What? Poor? Or fuck? Why can’t I? It's the truth...” There was a strong bitter resentment tainting the girl’s words. No one at that age should be able to muster such resentment in their words. “If you let me get a job to help out, maybe--”

 

“Roxas!” Her mother’s voice rose as force was put behind her name. It was enough to subdue Roxas, making her bite her tongue to stop her from speaking anymore.

 

“Hey, is that the new house?” Sora’s chipper voice broke through the lull of contempt that the two-headstrong woman gave off as she pointed forward. There in front of them was two story houses, though it seemed comparably tiny amongst the other homes. Pulling into the driveway of the home, the family of three exited the car. Each going a pace which parallel their feelings towards this avenue of their life.

 

Sora leapt out of the car without a care in the world, nearly slamming the car door shut on the wire of her head phones. Their mother followed suit, silently praising Gaia for the fact that she could finally stretch her legs after the near six-hour drive from Destiny Islands County to Twilight Town City. Roxas essentially slid out of the car as if she was boneless, making slow gaited steps towards the front door with a scowl and bitter air around her.

 

As the mother fumbled around with the keys, Sora bounced excitedly on her sneakers, eyes simply alight with what would be to come with their new home. Roxas saw that a pigeon had flown overhead and recently dropped its dropping on the car’s windshield.

 

“Ah, here it is.” Their mother found the key between some loose change before putting it in the lock and turning. With a click, the door fell open and Sora quickly slipped inside after kicking off her sneakers. The lights weren’t even on when she rushed in, but the older twin didn’t seem to care one bit.

 

“Sora! Be careful, they might not have cleaned this place as good as they s—“

 

**- _Crash_ -**

 

“Whoops. My bad.”

 

“Sora!” Their mother called in warning as the rest of the lights flickered on. Roxas finished unlacing her boots before stepping inside. The wood flooring beneath her feet chilled her through her socks. This house felt more hollow and cold, though most of that could attributed to the near "always summer" atmosphere of Destiny Islands County.

  

“I’ll get her,” Roxas tossed over her shoulder. Hands in her pockets, she began to make her way to where her sister had made that loud noise. He found in a hallway, a broken marble statue of some... woman on the floor. Amazingly it only broke in two parts, horrifyingly the part that snapped off was its head.

 

“Great move sis, probably the better of the two...” Sora just laughed as she rubbed the back of her head. “I hate this place already...”

 

**-0-**

 

Cloud Strife, she reverted back to her maiden even before the divorce and ensuing custody battles, sat down at their new dining table. Though "new" wouldn’t be the right word to describe the oaken table, considering she could see the small chips and wear that peppered it just barely noticeable by the untrained eye.

 

“We got two bathrooms now!” Sora skated through the entry arch with a look of excitement on her face. She was taking the move with her usual jubilance.

 

“They’re both smaller than what we had back at Destiny,” Roxas grumbled as she stalked in. Her face was marred by the perpetual frown that dogged her face the moment she walked in.

 

“At least there’s two,” Cloud mumbled aloud as she saw her kids begin to help her unpack. They didn’t really have much, a few boxes of clothes, some photo albums, Cloud’s old uniform and tools, her kids’ shinais, their new school uniforms. Speaking of school...

 

“I can handle the rest, you two go out and explore the city. School starts tomorrow so you should try and find the route to it.”

 

“We passed it a while ago, didn’t we? The big red and black buildings?” Roxas asked. Cloud nodded.

 

“Twilight Prep, one of the best schools in the Kingdom.” Cloud smiled proudly, knowing her daughters qualified despite the school’s difficult entrance exams. Sora and Roxas scored high enough and allowed them to apply for their honor students program, she ought to thank that Riku boy that Sora talks about and send Xion some city goods for helping Roxas. Maybe they'd like the Twilight Town

 

“Be back in a bit mom!” Sora shouted as she slipped on her sneakers and ran out the house. Roxas mutedly nodded as she laced up her boots and shouldered her jacket.

 

“Stay safe, and one of you bring a phone. Come back within the hour!”

 

“Yeah yeah.” Roxas waved her mother off before following Sora out of the house, her phone in her skinny jean pocket while her jacket was tied around her waist. Sora was waiting for her outside, already marveling at the city’s more grandeur structures. There aren’t any humungous clock towers are tall steel buildings in Destiny, but at least in Destiny there wasn’t much issue with the hustle and bustle of cars and people. Oh, look there was even a light rail of some kind, there wasn’t anything like that in Destiny. That last comment was full of sarcasm from Roxas, knowing that there was a light rail in Destiny.

 

Roxas began to note that despite walking for something of thirty minutes, she and Sora had not seen the iconic red and black painted buildings of Twilight Prep. Instead they seemed to stray further and further from any sort of inner city buildings and more towards the cities outskirts. Roxas even recalled how they back tracked and looped around several of the same statues and landmarks. Which meant...

 

“Sora… Do you have any idea where you’re going?”

 

The older of the two turned around, and with wide blue eyes sent her younger sister a wide smile.

 

“Nope.”

 

Roxas blinked before walking up flicking Sora against her forehead.

 

“Ow!”

 

“If you’re lost, at least say so. And bring you're phone next time for the map!” Sora smiled shyly before Roxas sighed and looked around. “Look, there’s a park. I’m gonna see if I can find where we are using that.”

 

“Kay!” Sora followed close behind, however Roxas turned once and saw that her sister got distracted once more. This time by several kids whom were playing with a blitzball. At least she’ll be occupied.

 

“Hey kids, check this out!” The ball was passed to Sora before she began to juggle it, alternating her feet and passing it in front and behind her.

 

Roxas’ phone rang, a familiar ring tone playing.

 

_“I'm lost, so lost...will I be able to see the sky again?_

_Oh please, one more day_

_Wishing, praying...wont someone allow this shadow of a girl_

_To see one more day”_ *

 

“Hello you’ve reached the Pitt of Darkness Eternal, please leave me a message after screams of the damned.”

 

“Hello to you too Roxas.”

 

“Hey Xion.” Roxas greeted her best friend of nearly twelve years, the one she left behind back at Destiny Islands.

 

The two were inseparable ever since they met at the local Destiny Island Kendo dojo. Initially they came to literal blows over some minor disagreement over a water bottle, it ended up not belonging to either of them and to Tidus. After the fight, both came out with red welts over their faces and hands. Their sensei forced them to apologize to each other, but instead of separating the two he had them partner up for all future exercises.

 

They ended up finding that they shared many of the same hobbies and interests; like kendo, the color black, and weird elusive icecream flavors. Years went by and they grew even closer, essentially Xion became Roxas' sister and cofindant. Sora may have had a lot of people surrounding her, Roxas was fine with Xion being by her side.

 

“So how’s life in the big city?”

 

“Sora got lost the minute we went outside to look for the school, and I think she forgot her phone in the car.”

 

“Wow she… She really isn’t bothered by the move.”

 

“It’s Sora, the only thing she’ll get shocked by is if someone said they were closing down Disneyland.”

 

“That was good prank.”

 

“Yeah… But Riku coming down on us wasn’t worth it.”

 

‘I think it was.”

 

“You didn’t have him as your partner in PE.”

 

“Hey Kairi and Riku wanted me to tell you that they tried calling Sora, but didn’t get through to her.”

 

“When did they do that?”

 

“Three hours ago.”

 

_Sora was napping around that time… Missed seeing the deers, deer? Doeses? Pack of deer? Run by._

“Hey there girlie, what’s your name?”

 

“Sora!”

 

_Oh for fucks sake._

“Xion, I’ll call you back. There are two large guys around Sora.”

 

“Oh Riku is gonna fli—”

 

Roxas closed her phone and stared ahead as Sora smiled blithely at the group of four who stood in front of her. Pocketing her phone, she began to stride up to them, noting that at least two of them were taller than they were. That makes things… Difficult. Normally there would be a seething Riku and an irate Kairi flanking her with Xion filming from behind, now it was just her. Her and her five-five feet and one thirty-pound self.

 

“Roxas, these guys know where our school is!” Sora shouted waving over to her sister.

 

_Oh sis, please never change._

 

“Do they have names?” Roxas narrowed her eyes as she walked to them, subtly bringing her sister closer to her. At least two of them were guys and were tall, like Riku-level tall. The third was a short overcoated… Person whose face couldn’t even be seen behind their layers of clothes.

 

“You can call me whatever you want, doll.” The one tallest one with a beanie charmed. Roxas stared blankly at him.

 

“Alright idiot,” she smirked. The guy’s face immediately soured.

 

“Bitch…”

 

“Hey that’s rude y’know!” The other tall guy stepped forward and tried to front her, puffing his chest out and making him seem bigger than he already was. Roxas wasn’t amused. Bigger and more doucheyer people have tried the same stint on her and Sora before.

 

“Roxas…” Sora may be ~~very~~ slightly airheaded, but even she can tell Roxas was picking a fight with the wrong people. “Stop.” She could see the tell tale signs that Roxas was going to make a desicion that would result in very bad consequences for the both of them; like the  twitch in her mouth, or the  clenching of her fist.

 

“Yeah Roxas, stop.” The guy echoed condescendingly. “If you want, a big strong guy like me can show you around town… Even to some of it’s more, secluded places.” Something snapped in Roxas’ mind and before she knew it, her booted foot rose up and between his legs. The sound of hard leather impacting straight to bone was heard before the life left the boy’s eyes and he collapsed backwards, legs bent in with his mouth slack.

 

Everyone stared at wide eyes while Roxas still had her foot extended out. Even she was surprised with what she did, though she wasn’t sorry about it, she didn’t plan to do this… Yet.

 

“Seifer!” Two of the other three rushed to help the foaming at the mouth boy currently clutching his wounded manhood. Roxas on the other hand lowered her foot and grabbed Sora’s hand.

 

“Time to leave!” She said before hauling Sora out of the park. While her sister apologized on her behalf, Roxas focused on getting as far as possible from the park.

 

“R-Roxas! Slow down!”

 

“Nope! We’re not stopping until we can’t see those them anymore!”

 

“We wouldn’t have this problem if you didn’t kick him!”

 

"Oh so now it's my fault that the asshoel thought I was an easy woman to f--"

 

“Roxas, they aren’t behind us anymore!”

 

"Huh?"

 

Roxas stopped running and Sora nearly ran into her sister at the sudden stop. The younger one looked behind and saw indeed that there weren’t any pursuers attempting to follow them. Instead she looked forward and saw that they were in a rather secluded area of Twilight Town, that is to say in a forested area with an ornate gated mansion in front of them.

 

The mansion itself looked a little rustic, with vines and flowers seeminly overtaking the white marble walls of the property. The walls and gate surrounding it however looked state of the art, with an automated gate and what looked like a black town car limousine resting outside the front of the mansion. It was something both Roxas and Sora had never seen in person due to their own family situation, the closest they saw came in the form of Kairi's home, since she was the Mayor's daughter.

 

“Uh… I think we’re a little lost.” Sora commented. Roxas gave her sister a glare to which she smiled easily at the common response for when Sora comments on her mistakes. "And this time it's not my fault.

 

"Shaddup..."

 

“Uh, excuse me, are you two lost?” Roxas and Sora both turn to see a voice had come the mansion. Beyond the gate and  near a flower bed, a girl wearing a white sundress and flaxen blond hair stood. If not for the fact that she had a cellphone in her hand and a sketchbook in the other, Roxas would have thought she was seeing a ghost with how pale and ethereal this girl looked.

 

“Yup! My sister and I were running from some people and we ended up here!” Sora explained without hesitation. Roxas could feel her blood pressure rise. “You wouldn’t happen to know where we are, do you?”

 

“You’re at my house.” The girl’s voice sounded distant and apprehensive. She tentatively looked behind her before turning back forward.

 

“You okay? You seem a little nervous.” At this point, Roxas just let herself go with the flow. Getting hit on in less than ten minutes after entering the city, getting lost, and winding up in front of a mansion in a forest with a girl who looked like a ghost; Roxas decided that if the universe was gonna put her through the wringer, she was going to just go with the punches.

 

“Yes, it’s just… No one really comes out here.” Her voice grew quiet and somber, while Roxas blinked.

 

“Yeah no shit, it’s kinda in the middle of nowhere.” Sora gave her sister a look of alarm, knowing that Roxas’ mouth had often lead to fights just as well as her actions. Being rude to a random stranger wasn’t the worst Roxas’ has done before, but she still shouldn’t do it.

 

However, to both their surprises, the girl giggled. Roxas stared wide eyed, while Sora wondered if she missed something. The girl’s laughter was a light sound, soft and wouldn’t even be heard if the wind picked up even more.

 

"Yes, it sorta is..."

 

“… You wouldn’t happen to know how to get to Twilight Prep, do you?” Roxas asked. The girl smiled.

 

“Turn around and continue along the path you were on before. Look for several large sections of golden sidewalk, they’re the school’s pathing system to lead to the school.”

 

“Follow the yellow brick road…” Roxas sighed as she pushed her hair out from over her eyes. The girl giggled once more. “I guess… Thanks. Come on Sora, let’s go.”

 

“Kay, bye!” Sora waved to the girl as the two turned around to walk back from where they came. The other girl smiled and waved back.

 

“See you later!” She shouted back, though her shout was barely above that of someone’s normal voice. The message however was cryptic sounding to Roxas’ ears. She doubted that they would come back, or maybe she would. The forest was a lot less loud than the city.

 

Eventually the two Strife girls made it back to familiar cement and brick structures of the urban areas of Twilight Town, and indeed there were areas in the sidewalk that had large sections of gold imprinted on it. Following these signs, the two eventually passed the familiar sight of their new home, they’re mother waiting with a scowl on her face.

 

“Where the fuck where you two?” She tapped a finger against her arm as she leaned against the doorframe.

 

“Got lost.”

 

In total, it had been more than two hours since they left. The school was meant to be at most a ten-minute walk. Cloud Strife tried calling Sora, to find her phone was wedged between an old Papou fruit and a stuffed Heartless. Then when she tried to call Roxas, who’s meant to be the more responsible and at least level headed of the two, it didn’t reach her. She had half a mind to get her gear out and scour the city to look for her kids.

 

“Dinner’s cold,” she settled with that phrase before she turned on her heel and went back into the home.

 

“… Why couldn’t we stay at Destiny?” Roxas groaned and she and Sora entered their home, knowing that Cloud had a long lecture to give to her kids.

 

"I'm sure Twilight Town will just be as exciting as Destiny!" Sora smiled brightly.

 

"Dinner. Is. Cold." There mother's voice boomed from inside the house and both sisters paled. Yup, she was definately mad.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * = A refrence to the lyrical version of Xion's theme by Lizz Robinett's (Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbLMOAOoqvk)
> 
> Genderbending is a thing I've always liked to read or think about, but never really apply my own to it so... Read it and judge it for youself... Meanwhile I have other fics I shoud really get too...


	2. Greetings, I am Mansex-- I mean XEMNAS!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friends may end with "end", but some can stand the test of time, distance, and loss.
> 
> Today marks the first day where Roxas, Sora, and Cloud embark on their new lives in Twilight Town. The first step to most people's morning: what should I wear?

After the ensuing lecture by one Cloud Strife the family had their dinner before the two daughters of Cloud began to unpack and sort their more personal items. For Roxas it was her collection of accessories, books, and clothes. Now with their current situation, Roxas wondered how much she could sell any of it. Some of the rings and bracelets were hand made with organic materials, and people were always in a market for stuff like that.

 

“Roxas do you want this?” Sora’s voice came from the door before it opened. Dressed in her Mickey Mouse pajamas, with her hair an untamed and wet mess from the bath, it’s hard to believe that she was sixteen. In Sora’s hands was a picture frame, namely of her, Roxas, and their entire group of friends before the Strifes left Destiny.

 

Xion, Kairi, Riku, Selphie, Waka, Tidus. They both left them behind; as well as all the shop owners, neighbors, and teachers that knew them in the Destiny Islands community. A dull ache came from Roxas’ chest, and tears threatened to spill before she stiffened her upper lip.

 

No, she wasn’t crying. She won’t cry, hadn't cried for ten years, and she wasn't going to start now!

 

“Your room or mine?” Roxas asked. Sora blinked before realizing Roxas spoke to her.

 

“Oh, I-I was thinking we place it... Here.” In the place where Sora broke the marble status of the woman’s head off, the picture now stood. All of their friend’s smiling faces with the two of them on one of Destiny Islands’ beaches.

 

 ** _Ptoom_**.

 

Roxas blinked as she heard a notification pop from somewhere. Sora scrambled a bit before pulling her phone from her pocket. A Sraque Book* notification had been sent to Sora’s phone before she opened it up.

 

The older twin nearly screamed at the picture that was sent to her, but addressed to both of the Strife sisters.

 

**Not the same without you two.**

**-Kairi**

 

A beautiful mountain overlooked sunset was framed by beautiful melds of midnight blue and fading warm red of the sun. Orange wisps trailed out into the blue, stretching until obscurity. However it was the beauty of the sunset which made Sora cry out, but it was who in the foreground.

 

Six others; ranging from a tall and tanned argent haired teen with iridescent green eyes, to a plucky chipper brunette whose smile lit up her face, to a tanned and broad-shouldered teen with an orange cow lick splayed prominently against the blue.  In eschew of their hands was a paper lantern with a candle inside and a cloth covering on top.

 

Several of those lanterns were already let loose, frozen in motion as they drifted to the ever-stretching sea beyond. The “Send Off”**, a Destiny Island Tradition that Sora and Roxas never failed to partake in since their living there.

 

They missed it this year.

 

Traditionally the “Send Off” of the lanterns was meant to represent the send off of the departed to Far Off. Relatives, lovers, children, parents... Friends. Tossing the lantern was to show that the person’s material attachment to the world has ceased to be.

 

Holding onto the lantern...

 

“They’re not forgetting is anytime soon,” Roxas breathed with a small smile. With a choked sob, Sora clutched her sister before the tears began to pour from her face. Crying muffled by Roxas’ shirt, as the younger sister did her best to quell the sadness that overtook Sora for this moment.

 

She knew her sister wasn’t taking the move entirely well. Yet Sora knew that their mother needed at least one of them to smile to give herself justification. However even Sora’s smile could get chipped away after being separated from her friends and thrusted into some alien world.

 

Roxas brought Sora to her bed, letting her sister sleep with her one more night... Just like old times.

 

**-0-**

 

“Come on Roxas! Hurry up, we’re gonna be late!” Sora ran through the house, still in the midst of eating, dressing, and attempting to tame her hair. At least one of those tasks wasn’t going to be fulfilled, and it wasn’t the eating portion.

 

Roxas’ attention wasn’t on the obvious distress of Sora or even her own mother’s silent mutterings as she tried to make herself look as professional as possible. Cloud Strife herself had changed out of her cargo pants and long-sleeved shirt to a formal button down, pencil skirt, and a blazer. Those articles of clothing had been buried somewhere in the deep recesses of Cloud’s clothes pile, seldom used by the woman. Today however; the single mother even attempted to tame her own set of blond spikes which dogged the family for generations in preparation for her first day at work…. At… Well that part is a mystery.

 

 

Roxas’ attention was on her own clothes. Clad in only her underwear and a frown, Roxas stared at... The Twilight Prep uniform. The school’s uniform was sent and received a week before the family left, and Roxas knew from her first sight of it that it wasn’t going to be to her liking.

 

Roxas’ fashion sense could be summed up in two words; Don’t fuck with me. Wait, that’s four words...

 

Roxas’ standard attire normally consisted of her combat boots which up to her mid-calf, skinny jeans or ripped skinny jeans, a flannel or a hoodie either worn or wrapped around her waist, a band tee or tank top, and... Her accessories. Those past items usually being her rings, bracelets, necklaces, chains, earrings, etc. Roxas normally wore two earrings on her left ear, one on her right, a chain link necklace with a pair of keys attached on her neck, one white band and one black band around her right wrist, and three onyx rings on her right hand. It normally a pain to put on, but Roxas didn’t do the whole make up or hair tame thing most other girls did, and substituted her own issues into that time slot.

 

Destiny Islands High was incredibly lax when it came to a school dress code, though there were some regulations. Of course, during the summer months, people literally came to school in bathing suits because it was hot. Destiny Islands let their students have free rein when it came to their clothes.

 

Twilight Prep was exactly the opposite.

 

The school mandates however that no student could wear excessive jewelry; meaning no rings and only one pair of earrings at the behest of the Student Morals Committee, and one necklace. The school uniforms were also enforced by the school’s administration and the dress code was strongly enforced, apparently. 

 

Roxas’ uniform, and by extent Sora’s, uniform consisted off a white buttoned-down blouse with a light blue tie.  Following so, either a cardigan or an optional sweater-vest for the warmer months could be worn. In the front breast pocket for the cardigan and for the sweater-vest, the Twilight Prep emblem of a stylized heart was stitched on. This initial discovery wasn’t so bad for Roxas, then there was... The skirt.

 

A flimsy loose thing barely the mid of her thighs. A white and blue plaid patterned… Shift of cloth rather than an actual article of clothing. It went “swish-swish” clothes that are supposed to cover one’s lower regions shouldn’t do that!

 

Roxas has never worn a skirt. Her mother has never made her wear a skirt, and likewise avoided wearing them herself. Sora only wore a skirt at the behest of Kairi when she went over to the other girl’s home, but usually stuck to wearing shorts. Roxas has been asked, in very vulgar manners, to wear a skirt by those of questionable nature (Those conversation usually ended with her needing to be restrained by Riku as she shouted obscenities and bloodied and wounded miscreants).

 

To wear a skirt of her own was a big step for her.

 

“Roxas? You alright?” Cloud’s voice came in as her mother’s head poked through the doorway. Roxas nearly blanched at how her mother was dressed. A pencil skirt, a steel blazer, white collared shirt; Cloud even wore her glasses that she seldom used and a pair of sapphire earrings that Roxas once scrounged at a flea market years ago.

 

“Mom… It’s a skirt…” Roxas replied with a look of disdain on her face.

 

“Suck it up. If I have to do this, you got to as well.” The older woman gestured to her own pencil skirt, which clung to her tightly and reached to her knees. “Wear this then.” To emphasize her point, Cloud tossed Roxas a package. Examining, Roxas felt herself grimace when she saw that her mother had tossed her a packet of stockings; numbering at seven.

 

At the very least they were black, with some having two white stripes encircling the entrance. But still, to Roxas, stocking meant that she was actually thinking of going through with wearing the skirt in the first place.

 

“Oh for Gaia’s sake!” Roxas nearly screamed as her mother tore into her room with a look of cold determination on her face.

 

“M-Mom! Stop! I can dress my—Kyah!”

 

Five minutes of a one-sided struggle later, Roxas meekly exited her room now wearing her skirt along with the pure black thigh-highs. She rubbed her knees together at the feeling of the bareness that came without wearing her skinny jeans.

 

“Roxas, you’re finally done?” Sora came tumbling out of the bathroom, a piece of bread in her mouth as she pulled on a pair of bike shorts. Roxas glowered, wondering if that was a gift from Kairi and if the red head knew about their future fashion situation.

 

“Yeah…” Roxas sulked before her sister handed her a melon bread. She glumly took it and began to munch on it as Sora finished up getting ready. She completely gave up something her hair, no surprise there, and moved to pull her phone off its charger and into her pocket.

 

“Got everything now?” Roxas asked as Sora smoothed down her skirt. Roxas took the time to now look at her sister. Unlike herself, Sora was able to dress herself. A cleanly tucked in blouse lead to her skirt with the bike shorts just barely poking out from beneath the hem of her skirt, while the tie was tied snugly against the collar. Sora went with the sweater-vest, it clung snugly to her comparably large bosom.

 

Roxas was inherently glad the cardigan was loose enough to mask her own curves, lacking they might be. Even more so, because of the struggle between herself and her mother, Roxas’ shirt was untucked and slightly ruffled, while the sleeves of her cardigan was stretched almost over her hands. Her tie was loose against her unbuttoned collar and even her stockings were uneven as well, one going a little higher on the thigh that the other.

 

“You two stay safe now, okay. I’m gonna come back late tonight, so you’re gonna have to make do with dinner yourselves,” Cloud said. Her voice carried from up the stairs as Roxas finished lacing up her boots.

 

“Bye mom!”

 

“Bye!”

 

Roxas closed the door behind her before she and Sora found the golden bricked paths… Not as a catchy as yellow brick road, but if what that girl said is true, it’d help Sora not get lost to and from the school.

 

“Twilight Town sure is more crowded,” Sora noted as she and Roxas stuck close together, mindful of the growing sidewalk crowds.

 

“Keep an eye on your bag, and your… You know what, hand me your phone.” Sora complied, handing Roxas her phone before the younger sister slipped both into her bag. Then shouldering it once more, Roxas made note that even that small lapse in blindness, and suddenly Sora was being pushed ahead of her despite trying to stay with Roxas.

 

“The city… Is so… Stuffy…” Sora breathed once she and Roxas reunited in a less busy area of the path.

 

“Like mom said, suck it up.” Roxas checked her phone to make sure they were actually heading to the school. It seems like what the girl said was correct, follow the path and you’ll make it there.

 

“Is that the school then?” Sora pointed out. Roxas looked up and saw tall golden structures with ornate rooves and stained-glass windows. It was gaudy, it was pious, it was what Roxas expected from “the most prestigious high school in the Kingdom”.

 

 _Oh look, there’s even a gate keeper…_ Roxas noted looking at the person whom stood in front of the school gates. Tall and imposing, the man whom stood as “Gate Keeper” had long ebon stands pulled back behind his head and curled side burns following the concave of his jawline. Standing stock straight in a uniform consisting of a double breasted slate jacket, pants, boots combo, the jacket had the emblem of Twilight Prep on the front just below the throat. What looked like a solid iron rod held loosely in one hand to his side, Roxas would have thought the man was a painted statue had he not sneezed and made walking students near him nearly scream.

 

The two Strife sisters approached him, to which the man’s orchid eye narrowed as an eyebrow quirked up. Roxas noted that his grip on the iron rod tightened, as well as the blue silver gauged ear cuffs on one of his ears. That earing actually looked pretty stylish…

 

“You two aren’t students here.”

 

“Do you recognize everyone who passes?” Sora asked incredulously.

 

“Yes.”

 

“We’re students here,” Roxas reached into her bag to pull out her handbook. She opened it up to the profile page of it. “Er, well new transfer students.”

 

The man narrowed his eyes even more, setting his iron rod on the ground hard enough to make a dull echoing noise. Sora approached him once more, eyes alight with curiosity that Roxas should have forseen.

 

“Wow, can you really hold that?” Sora asked looking at the solid iron rod. The man smirked.

 

“Yeah, care to try to see if you can?”

 

“Sure!” The man held the iron rod length wise at Sora’s height and both of Sora’s hands wrapped around it

 

“Sora, no—” The man let go.

 

“Oof!” Sora nearly flipped forward at the heavy weight of the iron bar. It had to be more than forty pounds alone. The Gatekeeper laughed heartily, nearly doubling over as Sora struggled to not fall over. Roxas pocketed her handbook before moving to help Sora. She grunted when she realized the full weight of the rod, but eventually lifted it up along with her sister and had it stand on its end on the ground.

 

“Yo Xaldin, whatcha got there man?” Roxas turned to see a rather rought person walking towards her. He was dressed very similar to the Gate Keeper, or Xaldin; the same slate double-breasted jacket, pants, and boots, however he had a red bandanna wrapped around neck and covering the front of his chest. Roxas also noticed that this man had a scar which ran near up on his chin and near his mouth, and wore an eyepatch over his right eye.

 

“Xigbar.” The Xaldin greeted. “These two must be the new students that Headmaster Ansem was talking to Mansex*** about.” Roxas wrinkled her nose, who on Earth would name their child “Mansex”?

 

“Got it bruh. Can I get you anything else? Some fries or a shake?” Xigbar shot back.

 

“How about my boot up your ass?” he shot back. Xigbar smirked and finger gunned the guardsmen, making “psh psh” noises before turning to Roxas and Sora.

 

“So, you two must be Sorax and Rora.”

 

“Roxas and Sora.”

 

“Shit close enough.” Xigbar comically widened his eyes before he relaxed his features. “Aight kids, well we were really expecting you two to show up tomorrow, but that’s, like, life I guess. Come on then, let’s get you set up with ol’Mansex at least.”

 

“Who the fuck is Mansex?” Roxas asked aloud. Xigbar began to laugh.

 

**-1-**

“Hello, I am Xemnas Saisho, Assistant Headmaster of Twilight Prep.” Roxas resisted the urge to say, “you’re Mansex!” to the man in front of her. Tanned and tall, the words which rumbled out of the man seemed to make the ground quake as eerie amber eyes stared forward at the two. Though he seemed large and imposing, there was a soft smile on his features that seemed to mitigate the fright of his appearance. Roxas also tried to not stare at the ornate katanas which rested just behind the man, resting sheathed on a stand. They seemed honed… Very honed.

 

“Are you Mansex?” Sora asked out of the blue. Roxas wondered if this was the moment when she would become an only child.

 

Xemnas however didn’t seem all that excited at the prospect at being called “Mansex”, and instead seemed like that calm serene smile on his face froze as his eyes flickered to Xigbar, desperately trying to restrain his laughter.

 

“Excuse me one second,” Xemnas stated. Walking around his desk, he began to walk towards Xigbar, who had finally gotten control of his daighphram, and nearly screamed as Xemnas began to move towards him.

 

“H-HIE! I-I-It wasn’t me!”

 

“Sh, don’t worry about that Xigbar.”

 

“I-It was Xaldin! He told them!”

 

“Why would Xaldin tell new students such a distasteful thing. No, only one person continues to say such a name to ALL the students he meets.”

 

“V-Vexen?” Xemnas wrapped an arm around Xaldin’s neck before walking outside his office. “OMAYGKAHSDGLKHASDOFHJLASDJFLFJHHHHJ!” The sound of hard impacts and a bloodcurdling scream of pain was heard before the door to the Assisstant Headmaster’s office opened once more, to show a calmly smiling Xemnas dusting his hands and straightening his suit.

 

Roxas looked just passed him to see Xigbar, face implanted in a wall and unconscious. A message written on the wall just besides his head read “worth it” with the tail end of the “t” trialing to where his finger rested on the wall.

 

“Now with that distraction out of the way, I would like to once more formally welcome you to Twilight Prep; Sora and Roxas Strife.” Xemnas bowed deeply before the two-followed suit. “Now it is rather difficult to get the scholarship to go to this school, however you two beat the odds and have done what very few, if any, other prospecting applicants have done in the last twenty years and gotten your entrance scores past the mark which is the bare minimum for attending this school, in fact you two are the only two who were able to do so this year.”

 

Roxas didn’t know what to be more amazed at first. The fact that Assistant Headmaster Xemnas made it seem like getting into the school was like the lottery, or that he said all that without a single pause to breath.

 

“Thank you!” Sora smiled brightly. Leave it to Sora to bash through any sense of delicacy or decorum. Xemnas smiled before sitting down in his chair.

 

“As I said before, it has been extremely far and few between when there was actually a transfer student allowed to enter Twilight Prep. Most of our students come from… Well off, families and are able to enter our school through the more conventional system of admittance, though this means that your efforts and dedication for your own education is even more forthright, the actual scholarship comes with certain… Attachments.” Xemnas clasped his fingers over his face as he regarded the two girls in front of him.

 

“Eh?”

 

“In order for you two to maintain your scholarships, I must ask you two to place within the top fifty of student scores.” Roxas and Sora blanched at the words that came from Xemnas. Yes they may have made it to the school, but that only came from the extent and effort from the tutoring of Honor Roll students, Riku and Xion. “This… This is not my requirement, but rather the school’s board of education had decided to place this unnecessary shackle to the ankles of their, and I stress the board says this not me, less important students. How students whom attain the right to go to this school through merit alone make them lesser, I shall never understand.”

 

Roxas and Sora still lay in shocked silence, eyes wide at the many proclamation the Assistant Headmaster had worded. Xemnas, feeling the awkward air begin to set in, cleared his throat once more.

 

“Right, I also know of your… Peculiar family circumstances. I trust your mother was escastic when she learned of your acceptance here?” Roxas’ blood froze at the mention of both their mother and the implicit knowledge that Xemnas had of their household situation, how much though was the nagging question in her mind. “Fret naught, only I and a select few, privileged and trusted individuals know of the situation of your family; the Headmaster, both of your homeroom teachers, as well as the school’s nurse to name some of the few.”

 

Relief color Roxas’ face as she let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Xemnas openly smiled, glad that he could give her some piece of mind. Then there was a knock on the door.

 

“It’s Saix, sir.”

 

“Come in.” The door opened up to reveal a student wearing the Twilight Prep uniform. A tall student with pale blue hair spiked up fringe and long mane sweeping in front of his ears and stretching even longer behind him. His most peculiar characteristic however was the “X” shaped scare on his face, from the middle of his forehead, over the bridge of his nose, and ending an inch below the caruncle.

 

“You wanted to see me sir?” His voice was gravely, almost like he gargled stones for his life. Roxas had a bad reminder of

 

“Yes Saix, these are our two newest students; transfers from Destiny Island. I trust you can show them to their classrooms. You have their schedules, correct?”

 

“Yes.” Saix pulled out two folders from under his arm and gestured to them.

 

“Good, lead them to there.” Saix nodded before opening the door and moving to stand outside it.

 

“Girls,” Sora and Roxas turned to see that Assistant Headmaster Xemnas was begginging to speak again, “I do truly hope that you’ll like the school. Not all of our students are… The spoiled and decadent individuals whom clog our media with drivel and waste, there are some genuinely good people here that I hope you will connect with.” Then the door closed, leaving Roxas and Sora to be guided by the tall imposing figure known as Saix.

 

“Saix, what class are you?” Sora asked innocently.

 

“Third year,” the man replied gruffly.

 

“You’re only two years older than us? But why do you look so old?” The undiluted words streaming out of Sora’s mouth made Roxas’ own blood freeze as Saix froze in his step.

 

_Godsdamnit Sora…_

 

“I… You… Do I really look old?”

 

_Is this really… The most prestigious school in the Kingdom****?!_

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * = Another Square anagram  
> ** = A trip to my mother's home country of Vietnam had me bare witness to the beautiful sight of lanterns being set adrift on the river. This was changed to the sky here, but the sight would be beautiful regardless.  
> *** = Guess that refrence  
> **** = Note, this is a Kingdom. Maybe not a fantasy kingdom, but a Kingdom nonetheless. Let this simmer and watch it play out in the future...


End file.
